dlkent
January 8th, 2005, 07:58 AM
Reply from Dr. Kent:
We specialize exclusively in this procedure the Lifestyle Lift. Our medical group has performed nearly 6,000 of these cases without any major complications like facial nerve injuries or severe infections. We have never put anyone to sleep for the procedure thus that risk is avoided as well. We ONLY perform this one procedure and blepharoplasty in our offices “we wrote the book on it”. I have trained countless other surgeons on the technique.
It really bothers me when other physicians and people claiming to be patients (often people who work for other doctors) bad mouth the procedure on these message boards. Many of these surgeons are not happy performing a $3,000 range procedure and would rather put people through extensive distorting radical facelifts, which by the way I do not believe in. For example, I could remove your gall bladder through a large abdominal incision requiring long term in-hospital recovery or I could do it through a small puncture and scope and you could leave in less then a day. Well, when I was in my ENT Facial Plastic Surgery residency there were two camps the older docs and the younger. If I was only trained and familiar with the old way I would lead you to have it that way. But in the long run the right way wins, and in this case, most everyone has there gall bladder removed through a small scope!
Likewise face lifts can be done in an extreme fashion or a much simpler way. Most people in there 40s, 50,s and early 60s do not have wrinkles so much, but mainly drooping of underlying tissues creating deep creases, folds, jowls, frown lines and loose neck skin. Through a much smaller hairline incision, about 2 inches of skin can be lifted off the underlying muscles (SMAS) and the SMAS can be tacked up with permanent sutures. The skin can then be trimmed and closed with a plastic closure. Just as in the old traditional radical facelift the SMAS is elevated back into its youthful position but in ours it is done through a much smaller incision and without peeling off a radical amount of skin. With the old extreme way the skin is placed back down with suction drains and pressure dressings for days or weeks and when finally healed it never looks the same. That is why so many people look pulled and stretched from the old way.
The old extreme lift still has a place for people who are very wrinkled. The peeling off of the skin helps resolve the deep wrinkles. Keep in mind if your under 60 to 65 you probably do not have deep wrinkles and the old way will probably provide nothing more for you except increased risk of nerve injury, anesthesia problems and having an unnatural pulled look!
Furthermore comments I have read are not true that this procedure is not lasting because with the Lifestyle Lift the underlying muscles and connective tissue (SMAS) are tacked up in 3 points or more with non-dissolvable suture! How does that fall down??
Due to the economic nature of medicine today many physicians are performing plastic surgery without ever having a AMA or AOA recognized residency in ENT/Facial Plastic Surgery, General Plastic Surgery or an Oculoplastic Surgery residency. Many of the physicians who post to sites like this one are cosmetic surgeons. Cosmetic surgeons is NOT recognized by the AMA as a specialty! It is a way for Dermatologists (skin doctors), OBGYNs, General Surgeons, Vascular Surgeons and the like to let the public know they perform cosmetic plastic surgery. A “certificate” in cosmetic surgery can be obtained by attending a weekend course in facelifts, liposuction or breast augmentation. BE CAREFULL. Always ask as it is very deceiving out there. There are no laws in the United States governing the specific type of surgery a physician can perform. Any physician can perform any surgery they want to. What they can not do is lie about there credentials. My personal recommendation is to go to a plastic surgeon or facial plastic surgeon for facial surgery.
Feel free to contact me through our web site www.lifestylelift.com
Dr. David Kent
We specialize exclusively in this procedure the Lifestyle Lift. Our medical group has performed nearly 6,000 of these cases without any major complications like facial nerve injuries or severe infections. We have never put anyone to sleep for the procedure thus that risk is avoided as well. We ONLY perform this one procedure and blepharoplasty in our offices “we wrote the book on it”. I have trained countless other surgeons on the technique.
It really bothers me when other physicians and people claiming to be patients (often people who work for other doctors) bad mouth the procedure on these message boards. Many of these surgeons are not happy performing a $3,000 range procedure and would rather put people through extensive distorting radical facelifts, which by the way I do not believe in. For example, I could remove your gall bladder through a large abdominal incision requiring long term in-hospital recovery or I could do it through a small puncture and scope and you could leave in less then a day. Well, when I was in my ENT Facial Plastic Surgery residency there were two camps the older docs and the younger. If I was only trained and familiar with the old way I would lead you to have it that way. But in the long run the right way wins, and in this case, most everyone has there gall bladder removed through a small scope!
Likewise face lifts can be done in an extreme fashion or a much simpler way. Most people in there 40s, 50,s and early 60s do not have wrinkles so much, but mainly drooping of underlying tissues creating deep creases, folds, jowls, frown lines and loose neck skin. Through a much smaller hairline incision, about 2 inches of skin can be lifted off the underlying muscles (SMAS) and the SMAS can be tacked up with permanent sutures. The skin can then be trimmed and closed with a plastic closure. Just as in the old traditional radical facelift the SMAS is elevated back into its youthful position but in ours it is done through a much smaller incision and without peeling off a radical amount of skin. With the old extreme way the skin is placed back down with suction drains and pressure dressings for days or weeks and when finally healed it never looks the same. That is why so many people look pulled and stretched from the old way.
The old extreme lift still has a place for people who are very wrinkled. The peeling off of the skin helps resolve the deep wrinkles. Keep in mind if your under 60 to 65 you probably do not have deep wrinkles and the old way will probably provide nothing more for you except increased risk of nerve injury, anesthesia problems and having an unnatural pulled look!
Furthermore comments I have read are not true that this procedure is not lasting because with the Lifestyle Lift the underlying muscles and connective tissue (SMAS) are tacked up in 3 points or more with non-dissolvable suture! How does that fall down??
Due to the economic nature of medicine today many physicians are performing plastic surgery without ever having a AMA or AOA recognized residency in ENT/Facial Plastic Surgery, General Plastic Surgery or an Oculoplastic Surgery residency. Many of the physicians who post to sites like this one are cosmetic surgeons. Cosmetic surgeons is NOT recognized by the AMA as a specialty! It is a way for Dermatologists (skin doctors), OBGYNs, General Surgeons, Vascular Surgeons and the like to let the public know they perform cosmetic plastic surgery. A “certificate” in cosmetic surgery can be obtained by attending a weekend course in facelifts, liposuction or breast augmentation. BE CAREFULL. Always ask as it is very deceiving out there. There are no laws in the United States governing the specific type of surgery a physician can perform. Any physician can perform any surgery they want to. What they can not do is lie about there credentials. My personal recommendation is to go to a plastic surgeon or facial plastic surgeon for facial surgery.
Feel free to contact me through our web site www.lifestylelift.com
Dr. David Kent